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Increased risk of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in middle-aged and elderly individuals with early vision, hearing, or dual sensory impairments: insights from prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis
Yaoling Wang, Fang Cheng, Niuniu Hou, Yuting Tan, Shaomin Zhang, Yanbing Hou, Wen Guo, Jin Peng et al.. BMC medicine, 2025-02-25
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
The cohort study revealed that persistent HI significantly increased the risk of heart disease (P < 0.001, HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.31-2.03), stroke (P 0.004, HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.16-2.18), chronic lung disease (P 0.002, HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-1.99), and emotional, nervous, or psychiatric problems (P 0.016, HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.14-3.60). Persistent VI was significantly associated with diabetes or high blood sugar (DM/Hglu) (P 0.012, HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.11-2.38) and chronic lung disease (P 0.042, HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.02-2.31). MR confirmed these strong or suggestive associations, indicating that HI significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events by 61-170%, bronchitis by 160%, and schizophrenia by 36%. In addition, VI significantly raised the risk of hyperglycemia or diabetes by 2-4% and the risk of lung function decline. Additionally, cohort studies confirmed that early DSI significantly raised the risk of multiple diseases, while MR identified genetic links between VI and hepatic failure, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease, and between HI and hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and renal failure. This study provides evidence from epidemiological or genetic perspectives demonstrates that early exposure to HI/VI/DSI increases the risk of developing chronic diseases. These findings underscore the need for continuous monitoring and timely intervention for SI to manage chronic disease risks in aging populations.
Key findings
- The cohort study revealed that persistent HI significantly increased the risk of heart disease (P < 0.001, HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.31-2.03), stroke (P 0.004, HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.16-2.18), chronic lung disease (P 0.002, HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-1.99), and emotional, nervous, or psychiatric problems (P 0.016, HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.14-3.60).
- Persistent VI was significantly associated with diabetes or high blood sugar (DM/Hglu) (P 0.012, HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.11-2.38) and chronic lung disease (P 0.042, HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.02-2.31).
- MR confirmed these strong or suggestive associations, indicating that HI significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events by 61-170%, bronchitis by 160%, and schizophrenia by 36%.
- In addition, VI significantly raised the risk of hyperglycemia or diabetes by 2-4% and the risk of lung function decline.
- Additionally, cohort studies confirmed that early DSI significantly raised the risk of multiple diseases, while MR identified genetic links between VI and hepatic failure, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease, and between HI and hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and renal failure.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants504,307
- Effect sizeHR 1.63; HR 1.59; HR 1.53
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 77/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 43 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 77 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (BMC medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 504,307 participants |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40001102) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 43 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 43 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 77 out of 100. |
| Total | 77 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Wang, Y., Cheng, F., Hou, N., Tan, Y., Zhang, S., Hou, Y., et al. (2025). Increased risk of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in middle-aged and elderly individuals with early vision, hearing, or dual sensory impairments: insights from prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis. BMC medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-03857-x
Vancouver
Wang Y, Cheng F, Hou N, Tan Y, Zhang S, Hou Y, et al. Increased risk of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in middle-aged and elderly individuals with early vision, hearing, or dual sensory impairments: insights from prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis. BMC medicine. 2025. doi:10.1186/s12916-025-03857-x. PMID: 40001102.
BibTeX
@article{wang2025-40001102,
author = {Wang, Yaoling and Cheng, Fang and Hou, Niuniu and Tan, Yuting and Zhang, Shaomin and Hou, Yanbing and Guo, Wen and Peng, Jin and others},
title = {{Increased risk of chronic diseases and multimorbidity in middle-aged and elderly individuals with early vision, hearing, or dual sensory impairments: insights from prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis}},
journal = {BMC medicine},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s12916-025-03857-x},
pmid = {40001102},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-03857-x}
}